The first French king

He was a war foal who rose to the top of the French elite in the 1920. The first and only horse to be disqualified from a win in the Prix d’Amerique, Passeport was a tremendous trotter who was just as outstanding at stud.

Passeport was no child prodigy, though he was relatively good early. He made his debut at Argentan at 3. On Sep 18, he qualified in 1.39,9 (2:40.4). 69 three-year-olds attempted to qualify, which meant they had to trot at least 1.45, and 45 made the cut. Passeport’s mark was the ninth fastest time. It was far behind the two fastest, though Phoenix and Pro Patria, who trotted in 1.33,3 and 1.34,7 (2:20.1 and 2:32.2), respectively. The following day Passeport got his debut in monte race Prix d’Essai. Finishing fifth of the ten starters, Passeport trotted in 1.39,1 (2:39.2). He was still relatively far behind the winner, Paulownia, who won in 1.35,0 (2:32.4).

The following day he was fourth in Prix de l’Ourcq on the same track, now trotting in 1.37,5 (2:36.4), the race won by Paladin in 1.34,2 (2:31.3). Interestingly enough, in another race at Argentan that day, Prix de la Vesle, a certain Pro Patria finished second for Louis Forcinal. Pro Patria was earlier than Passeport, though the latter eventually became a much better trotter.

At 4, trainer Clerc took Passeport to Vincennes, and at Jun 4 he mopped the floor with the opponents in the Prix de Poitiers, winning in 1.33,2 (2:30). La France Chevaline wrote “At the signal, Passeport, quick on his legs, left very quickly and swiftly took a big lead. Petrograd, on the contrary, got off to bad start but started to pursue and gradually gained ground on the leader. At the top of the straight we started to believe he would catch up, but exhausted by his efforts, tired and allowed Passeport to win by a big distance. (…) The winner is a pretty little horse with excellent gait and, even though he benefited from a quick start, nonetheless put in a very good performance.” The following week he was third in another monte race at Vincennes, losing to the good Ontario and Off. He won a few other monte races before making his debut with a sulky in Prix de la Societe du Demi-sang in mid-August. Passeport won that one too, in 1.36,2 (2:34.4) against relatively easy opposition. The time was still six seconds behind Pro Patria’s record at the same time.

In the following race, Passeport went up against Pro Patria and other other of the best four-year-olds in Prix d’Aout. However, with Pro Patria struggling with a 50 meter handicap, Passeport scored a surprise victory, lowering his record substantially to 1.31,2 (2.26,4). After a loss to Phoenix and Francois Riaud in the Prix des Tribunes, Passeport surprisingly beat the excellent one-year-older Ouistiti at Vincennes on Sep 8, just a few days after losing to Ollie Dak, Ouistiti, Pro Patria and Octeville in Prix de Croix. Things continued up and down as the colt struggled a bit with consistency and was tried in both sulky and monte races.

A new trainer

In the middle of February 1920, Passeport was sold to Albert-Victor Bulot. The move was a very positive one for the relatively small horse (157 cms/15,2 hands), especially by French standards, who now slowly would grow into an elite trotter. It wasn’t an overnight transformation, however. In November that year, he was second but still lost handsomely to Pro Patria in the Prix de Pont-a-Mousson. In fairness it should be added that the latter dominated the Vincennes elite at the time. This was again demonstrated in the Prix de Montdidier on Jan 8, 1921, when Pro Patria overcame a 125 meter (137 yards) handicap to win impressively in 1.28,8 (2:22.4) over 3125 meter (1 15/16 mile). Passeport, who “only” had a 50 meter handicap, finished third. However, with Pro Patria gone, on a good day Passeport was good enough to win against the rest of the elite – which he proved in the Prix du Mesle on Jan 23.

This made Passeport an outsider to the 1921 Prix d’Amerique, while Belgian-owned The Substance and the French duo Pro Patria and Nobert were the three favorites. The US import The Substance wasn’t on her best on the day of the big race, however, and Pro Patria won ahead of Norbert, Ouistiti, Nelusko and Passeport. The Helder-son had put in a good performance to finish fifth, though, as he had made a break shortly after the downhill. Four days later Passeport took his revenge – although it should be mentioned that Pro Patria didn’t start – winning the Prix d’Angleterre ahead of Nelusko and Quo Vadis. Another three days later Norbert won the Prix de Belgique ahead of Ouistiti and Belgian-owned Ormondale, the race in those days being over 2200 meters (1 3/8 mile), while Passeport finished far back.

After a few other good performances in the winter meeting, Passeport was out for six months as he was standing stud for the first time. Returning in Prix Puis in Dieppe on Aug 21, he was driven by his owner-trainer and finished third in 1.32,4 (2:28.3) over 2500 meters (1 9/16 mile). After a seventh-place in Prix de Gascogne on Sept 20 and then a second place in the Prix de Dunkerque on Dec 18, both won by Nelusko, Passeport got sick at New Year’s Eve and had to miss a race the following day, and he was out until the 1922 Prix d’Amerique. It also meant Passeport started in the big race winless in 10 months. The colt would be unique in the race, though for the wrong reason as he was the first, and to date only, horse disqualified from the win in the Prix d’Amerique.

The historic disqualification

According to the New York Herald‘s report, “the race was run in wretched weather, the lower part of the track being a sea of mud. Passeport got off well and was the pacemaker almost for the entire 2500 meters (1 9/16 mile). Coming out of the small wood, about two-thirds of the distance, the order was Passeport, Reynolds V and Ravageur, and the horses were in that position at the entry to the homestretch. A short distance from the finish, Boudeau took Passeport out of his direct line and interfered with the two followers. On a protest being made to the stewards by the other drivers, it was upheld, and the valuable prize of 48,400 francs was taken from A-V Bulot, who had to be content with third money, 10,000 francs.”

After a fifth-place in Prix d’Angleterre, Passeport was finally a winner again in the Prix de Belgique on Feb 5. Trotting the 2200 meters in 1.26,5 (1 3/8 mile in 2:19.1) , Passeport won ahead of Ouistiti, Quarteron and Reynolds V. The win earned Passeport, now driven by Paul Viel, a standing ovation. According to La France Chevaline, “Passeport’s victory in the Prix de Belgique was a compensation which was well deserved for this excellent horse and the way in which it was obtained makes it as convincing as possible. Helder’s son had the misfortune of a bad start, and at first the spectators thought that he was absolutely not going to play a role. While Ormondale, Klem and Ouistiti took off at full speed, Passeport, with Reynolds V, was fifty meters behind them, but when the leading horses, exhausted by their initial speed, began to give up, he arrived at full speed to win with admirable ease. Ouistiti ran a very good race, but he weakened in the final stretch and could not resist the rush of Passeport. Quarteron, always consistent, also returned in a superb finish to take third place, while Reynolds V, who we really did not expect to see so close, put in an extraordinary performance for a five-year-old.”

Out for a long time with a slight injury and then stallion duty, Passeport returned to action in Prix de Granville at Vincennes on Dec 8, 1922, where he finished fourth behind Quadrille, Ouistiti and Quarteron. Nine days later he narrowly lost to Quarteron in the Prix d’Argentan. Third to Norbert and Quarteron on Christmas Day, before he was beaten only by Quadrille in the Prix de Champagne on New Year’s Eve, Passeport might have seem like he was struggling to regain his old form. He wasn’t.

The revenge

Come 1923, Passeport immediately underlined his credentials by winning the Prix du Merlerault in convincing fashion ahead of Ogotai Khan. The 1923 Prix d’Amerique, the four edition of the legendary race and the first to be run with good weather, though a slightly heavy track, was next. The only minus was a bit of fog, which caused Peter Duffy’s Dutch-German owner Mees Alkemade to withdraw his colt. From La France Chevalline, “Passeport, last year’s semi-winner, who had shown excellent form recently, was the indicated favorite and, upon examination in the paddock, received all the votes for his appearance; we admired his muscles standing out under the black, silky and shiny coat, the fine and expressive head, the strong and well-tempered limbs, the calm and powerful gait.”

The previous year, Passeport was disqualified from the win. This time around, however, nothing would stand in his way and the race would be a display of supremacy.

“The race was superbly contested and we are almost tempted to be grateful to the flag-waving starter who surprised a half-turned Passeport and imposed a handicap of more than twenty-five meters. Without this, in fact, there would have been no contest; the extraordinary son of Helder would have dominated his competitors, judging by the mastery he demonstrated after having to go around fourteen horses.

It was a beautiful and exciting spectacle to follow Passeport in his effort, to see him hurtling down the descent at full speed, going around the field on the plain and devouring his competitors one by one. Norbert, who still has his surprising speed, was off to a good start and opened up a gap at the beginning of descent. From the small woods, however, Passeport was very close to him and, in the middle of the climb, the issue was settled. In the lead, Passeport dominated everything, he entered the final straight well ahead and won with two seconds, trotting a high tempo to the finish. This incomparable feat caused a lot of cheering. The public, who believed their favorite was beaten and who saw him, so to speak, resurrect and win with such brilliance, gave this courageous animal a justified ovation. Paul Viel, it must be said, drove him admirably, not letting himself be discouraged by the bad start, remaining wise and leading his horse in a progressive effort. It was a well-deserved success.”

As was standard in those days, a week after the Prix d’Amerique, the same horses met in the 2200 meter (1 3/8 mile) Prix d’Belgique. Just like in the Prix d’Amerique, Passeport was toying with his competitors.

“Giroflee, who can leave very quickly, immediately took the lead and led to the downhill where Norbert overtook her. For a moment we could believe in the probable victory of Fleuriel’s champion, but this illusion was short-lived. This is because Passeport, already fifth, was closing the gap. In the middle of the climb, Passeport was on Norbert’s heels and he passed him before the turn without any apparent effort and then went on to win with a brilliance which was met with loud cheers.”

Passeport’s winning time was 1.23,9 (2:15), equaling Ravageur and Norbert’s track record (though the absolute time was slightly faster than the latter two). However, winning performance clearly surpassed those of his competitors: “1.23,9, a phenomenal speed, if we consider that the track was soaked by the rain that fell in abundance during part of the night and all morning. Helder’s son was nevertheless able to beat the Vincennes record, held almost jointly by Ravageus and Norberg. But these two records were obtained on a perfect track, in the middle of summer, by Ravageur in June and by Norbert in September.” (It is here necessary to add that times on the old Vincennes track: much slower than today and with a more demanding uphill, were in no way comparable to those of fast US tracks.)

The Prix d’Amerique was started in 1920 and named in honor of the US assistance to France during the first World War. The origin of the race, however, goes back to 1912. After lobbying local authorities and promising to match their contribution to two annual international races, the Prix du Conseil Municipal de Paris, over 3000 meter (1 7/8 mile), and the Prix du Conseil General de la Seine, over 2500 meter (1 9/16 mile), were created. Fred Leyburn won the three editions of the former prior to it being stopped by the war. In 1920, these two races became the Prix d’Amerique and Prix de Belgique, respectively. In 1923, another big race was added, the Prix de Copenhague, over 2500 meters. With a purse of 20,000 francs, it was the third biggest for aged trotters in the winter meeting, behind Prix d’Amerique, at 75,000 francs, and Prix de Belgique, at 30,000 francs.

With really tough handicapping rules, based on earnings in the last two weeks alone, Passeport had to give 75 meters to most competitors in the Prix de Copenhague. Despite this, Passeport came agonizingly close to a magnificent treble: “Passeport got off to a moderately good start, then he launched into full speed, devouring the track in this flexible and extended action that is unique to him. On the plain, he was already close to the leading horses – having trotted the thousand meters downhill in 1.20.2 (2:09) – and in the small woods, going around on the outside, he was fourth. Soon he only had Quadrille in front of him, but this one, who benefited from a great lead, was still trotting at the same powerful and rhythmic pace. Passeport courageously set out after him in a supreme effort and caught up with him at the last turn, but despite all his heart he could do no more; Quadrille, still full of gas, won by half a length.” The timing showed who was the better horse, Quadrille winning in 1.26,6 (2:19.2) over 2500 meter while Passeport trotted in 1.24,2 (2:15.2) over 2575 meters.

The stuff legends are made of

Entering stud, Passeport was supposed to returned at the Prix de Merlerault on Jan 13 the following year. However, he was scratched from that race and made his eagerly awaited comeback in the 1924 Prix d’Amerique. Ranked as one of the pre-race favorites, La France Chevalline wrote “Passeport is our national champion and if he is in his form of last year, his victory will not be in doubt. But Helder’s son had a fairly busy breeding season and it was more difficult than expected to bring him back into condition. He nevertheless did a good job and, without perhaps being completely ready, is horse capable of winning.”

As it turned out, he was more than capable. He had the speed and the strength, but maybe the most impressive quality was his incredible gameness and determination. While the 1923 Prix d’Amerique made Passeport historical, his win in the 1924 edition is the stuff legends are made of. As La France Chevalline wrote, “The good weather, which we were hoping for, was not there. Not that we had rain, except a light drizzle, but much worse was the fog which completely spoiled the race for us. At the start of raceday the veil was already quite opaque, then it thickened and when the time came for the Prix d’Amerique, it was absolutely impossible to break through the fog even with the brightest light.

Among the French competitors, Quo Vadis, Passeport, Roi Albert and Re Mac Gregor, all in resplendent condition, were the most admired; Passport, especially, seemed to have returned exactly as we had left last year in the midst of his triumphs. His busy breeding season and his long absence from the track had not changed his appearance; he presented himself refined, full of muscles, completely ready, so he won the majority of votes and was the big favorite.

After the start signal we saw the horses emerge from the fog and rush past the stands. Reynolds V, at the head of the field, followed by Ravageur, Ouistiti, Roi Albert and Billy Bunker. It was a bitter disappointment to see that Passeport was not in the field, but isolated and far behind, 100 meters from the leader, as his luck seemed more than compromised. We later heard the explanation for this: Passeport, impatient with the false starts and the long wait for its first appearance in public after a year of absence, had gotten badly worked up. After setting off well at the signal, he almost immediately committed a prolonged break.

However, the race continued with the front runners fighting fiercely, and Re Mac Gregor was gradually getting closer. Finn, for his part, had not lost his head with Passeport; he set off in pursuit of the peloton and, in the company of Quo Vadis, also behind, set about making up for his enormous delay. Quo Vadis couldn’t keep up and broke stride, but Passeport continued at his dizzying pace; at the entrance to the final straight, he was not far from the leading horses and, with a supreme effort, he rushed up on the outside to overtake Re Mac Gregor and Roi Albert very close to the post. This victory, which no one was expecting, was greeted at first with a sort of amazement, then with indescribable enthusiasm. Everyone realized that to have accomplished such a feat, Passport must have been a truly phenomenal horse.

And in fact, Passeport surpassed itself, since he trotted the course, despite a formidable break, in 1.26.2 (2:18.3) , compared to 1.26.4 (2:19) in 1923, which beats the record of the Prix d’Amerique. Taking into account his break, we estimate that Passeport must have actually ran the course in 1.22 (2:12) flat! Last year, it is true, a bad start put him at a disadvantage, but much less than his break this year. Only a truly great horse can thus repair a big break and triumph over the toughest opponents.

Alexander Finn, who was one of the best drivers in Tsarist Russia and has traveled all over the world, told us that he had never seen a horse like Passeport. He has known and driven many famous trotters, even the famous Cresceus, world champion of trotting stallions, but, for him, he sees nobody above Passeport. If the driver, Finn, received a well-deserved ovation, Mr Bulot, who takes care of the training of his horses himself, was also highly complimented. It was thanks to his enlightened training that Helder’s son was able to be brought to the peak of his condition in due time.

Re Mac Gregor also ran magnificently and, without Passeport’s unexpected finish, it would have been he who had won the prize. This very beautiful horse has continued to progress under the skillful training of Dessauze and we can certainly expect much more from him. Last year, he was on the verge of being purchased by the Stud Administration during the February presentation: the inspectors only let him go with regret, due to insufficient funds. From the point of view of sport and even breeding, this is to be welcomed, because the horse will still be able to pursue its career as a stallion.”

In the beginning of February, La France Chevaline reported that an offer of 200,000 francs for Passeport from agent Mees Alkemade, acting on behalf of the Dutch Willem Ockhorst, was rejected.

Securing the triple

If Passeport was outstanding in the Prix d’Amerique, what came next wasn’t any less impressive. “Sunday, clear and pleasant, amply compensated us for the disappointment that the previous Sunday had brought. One could hardly wish for more favorable conditions at this time of year. The track had been particularly cared for and was in as perfect a condition as possible.

The Prix de Belgique, the third of the international races and the second, in order of magnitude, is sometimes more interesting than the Prix d’Amerique itself, because the starters are better known and the distance is shorter. After Reynolds V and Re Mac Gregor were scratched and a few useless sidekicks were gone, a field of nine starters made for a select lot of fast horses and the race was most interesting. The way in which the champion Passeport had behaved in the Prix d’Amerique made it extremely likely that he would follow the same glorious path as last year and brilliantly win the second major international. The result was entirely in line with predictions, because not only did Passeport win comfortably but also the order of finish between the first three was exactly that indicated on the last paper. As for the speeds, they were first rate.

The previous year, Passeport covered the 2250 meters of the Prix de Belgique in 1.23.9, this year he lowered his absolute time by a second, trotting in 1.23.4 (2:14.1) , which is now the French record over all distances of 2200 meters (1 3/8 mile) or more. The race did not lack a touch of excitement, because after starting remarkably well, Passeport showed a certain hesitation during the first thousand meters to get into his groove, so much so that the American-born Billy Bunker, trotting at full speed down the descent, had been able to secure a worrying lead.

As the field approached the little wood, Billy Bunker, well ahead of Trianon, Giroflee and Quarteron, with Passeport still in sixth position behind Ouistiti, we wondered, for a brief moment, what was going to happen. But in the last part of the climb, Passeport, with the energy of a fierce fighter, overtook all his opponents one by one and caught up in the last turn with Billy Bunker, who was more or less exhausted. From then on, there was no longer any question. Passeport, well placed on the outside, won easily while Roi Albert, coming from nowhere, placed second two lengths behind him, beating Trianon third and Billy Bunker, fourth, the latter having made a big break at the top of the final stretch. Finn drove the winner with perfect composure, bringing it in with precision at just the right moment.”

Then came the Prix du Copenhague, the last of the three big internationals at the time. Again the handicap imposed on Passeport was prohibitive. Still, the 9-year-old colt was in such massive form that he brushed aside the opposition with ridiculous ease. “Passeport, the extraordinary trotter of Mr A-V Bulot, achieved the formidable feat of winning all three major internationals of the winter meeting, while suffering an increasingly heavy handicap.

Last year, he came close to accomplishing this astonishing feat, but lost by a neck; Quadrille, to whom he had a 75 meter handicap, managed to barely hold off his advance to the finishing line.

The task of making up 75 meters over a 2500 meter (82 yards over a 1 9/16 mile) race, to trotters who are themselves first rate, could in fact have seemed impossible – if we did not have such a champion to triumph even under such conditions. However, the exceptional crack, who is, this year, better than he has ever been, amazed us so much in the Prix d’Amerique that no one doubted he would emerge victorious from this task.

And, in fact, Passeport won with ease. Well off to a good start, Helder’s son had already regained part of his handicap as he passed in front of the stands; he then calmly went down the hill, then, opposite, at a request from Finn he closed the gap in climb, reaching the leading horses at the final turn and entered the straight line first to win without a struggle, amidst lots of cheers. After the race, driver Finn declared that he had asked no effort from his horse and that he had never won a major event so easily!”

The exceptional Passeport gave Russian-born trainer Alexander Finn his big break in France. Finn, who had barely escaped the Bolsheviks and made it to Italy in 1919, had been one of Russia’s best trainers prior to the Russian Revolution. He was quick to praise the French superstar after the win; “Passeport was extraordinary today. I told him the whole race “oh! oh!” and he won easily, without me asking him anything, I have never experienced that before.”

Giving up the crown

3 races was all Passeport did in 1924, but after three remarkable wins he took time off for stud duty. Like the year prior, it turned into a long time away from the races. Returning directly in the Prix d’Amerique 1925, the 10-year-old Passeport showed that even he was beatable as he finished fifth, Re Mac Gregor winning ahead of Tilly and Roi Albert. Owner Albert-Victor Bulot publicly considered to retire his trotter and skipped the Prix de Belgique. Realizing Passeport was not done, however, Bulot started his star in the Prix d’Italie on Feb 5. Not struggling with a handicap and much-improved with a race under his belt, Passeport went straight to the lead and was in full control of the proceedings, even though Telemaque V was allowed to sit in front for a short while. Passeport won easily ahead of the grey Ogotai Khan and a certain spectacular 4-year-old mare, Uranie, who later would go on to win the Prix d’Amerique three times.

Passeport gave up his crown when losing the Prix d’Amerique to Re Mac Gregor, and in the Prix de Copenhague on Feb 8 the latter proved he was the new king by winning despite a long handicap. The trio Revercourt, Uranie and Stabat, starting from 2500 meters (1 9/16 mile), had to settle for third to fifth as they were were unable to deal with Passeport, who had a 25 meter (27 yards) handicap, and a spectacularly good Re Mac Gregor, who overcame a 75 meter (82 yards) handicap. The latter had lost the Prix de Belgique to Ouistiti earlier, or he would have repeated Passeport’s tremendous triple from the previous year.

Passeport was not finished, though. Winning the Prix de Merlerault at Vincennes on Feb 27, Passeport then overcame a 100 meter (109 yards) handicap to win the Prix de Granville at Enghien. The winning time, 1.27 over 3450 meters (2 1/8 mile), was a new track record. It wasn’t without drama as Revercourt crossed the line first but, as he had sideswiped Passeport in the final stretch, thereby finishing first, the judges moved him down to second place. With earnings of 323,370 francs, the most of any French trotter at that point, the 10-year-old colt could have been retired. However, Bulot wanted one last crack at the Prix d’Amerique. After another lengthy break, Passeport returned for the 1926 Prix d’Amerique. However, the 11-year-old was not who he used to was and finished sixth while Uranie beat Tienneval and Re Mac Gregor.

The colt refused to go quietly into the sunset, however, and with Uranie sitting out the Prix de Belqique, Passeport showed his class when he won the big race for a record fourth time, a feat only copied by Ourasi, holding off Vassal, Ouistiti and Re Mac Gregor. Passeport and Vassal, neither with any handicap in the race, broke loose midway and had their own duel. The race turned out to be Passeport’s last. However, his name would figure prominently in French trotting media for many years.

A great stallion

As Passeport’s racing career was over, his stallion career was just starting to take off. And take off it would: despite not having the most foals, Passeport was French champion stallion in 1933 and 1939. In his first crop was A Fait Jaser, second in 1929 Prix d’Amerique. The colt was the result of a highly unusual breeding as he was the son of Passeport and his full sister Nive. He was the first of many stars, and right after emerged Passeport’s finest get, the second French trotting queen, Amazone B.

This capricious mare by Passeport and then fast, but erratic, American mare Anna Maloney had exceptional speed and won the Prix d’Amerique twice. The Franco-American combination would prove an exceptional match: In 1939 Amazone B’s full sister L’Amazone B was one of the favorites in that year’s Prix d’Amerique, but had a bad day and ended up outside the money. The mare still recorded numerous wins in the late 30s, included in many that today are group 2-races. Another full sister was the good Heroine B, whose maternal line is flourishing. Through her daughter Sonate she established a line that goes straight to Elitlopp-winner Dimitria and the latter’s granddaughter Etta Extra, by Florestan. Etta Extra was one of the best, if not the best, broodmares in French trotting history and is also found on the maternal line of Face Time Bourbon.

Bred to French stallion Enoch, Anna Maloney had another daughter, Emeraude VIII, in 1926. When the latter was bred to Passeport she produced Nebuleuse V, who won the 1943 Prix d’Amerique, then run under it’s WW2-name, Prix d’Hiver. Two years later, another Passeport daughter, Rosa Bonheur finished second in the same race. As if that wasn’t enough, Passeport’s son Cricri sired Neulisse, the 1942 winner.

Passeport is undoubtedly the best French trotter in the 1920s and the first to win the top three races in one winter meeting. However, how the horse is today largely forgotten and overlooked is a historical travesty as the colt was nothing short of spectacular for several years.

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